


Attack of the Ipos

by katekat



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-08-01
Updated: 2004-08-01
Packaged: 2017-10-03 07:52:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katekat/pseuds/katekat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><strong>Summary/Timeline:</strong>  Summer between Season 4 & 5.  A rogue demon with special powers prompts Buffy/Giles goodness.  Written as a present to Gileswench for the All the Jellies Buffy/Giles Smutficathon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Attack of the Ipos

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** These characters aren't mine. Plot lines aren't even really mine; they're just beamed to me via satellite. All hail the mighty and benevolent Joss for making it all possible.
> 
> **Distribution:** All the Jellies, BuffyGiles/Efiction, ODD. If you'd like to archive elsewhere, simply ask.
> 
> **Feedback:** Welcomed and appreciated.
> 
> **Notes:** Buffy and Riley have broken up, peaceably, and he's back in Iowa. Although the demonology texts and demon mentioned in this fic are 'real' and came from the following: www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/mythology (for which I tender many thanks) I have rearranged the existing knowledge for my own purposes. [Thoughts] *Emphasis*
> 
> **Thanks:** Linda &amp; BJ, my understanding and magnificent betas, this fic wouldn't be fic without your help. All corrections are theirs, all remaining mistakes are mine. Elizabuffy, thanks for the tweed. Neil, thank you for helping me through the icky parts. The absurd ideas wouldn't be very absurd at all without you. Gileswench, your challenge was definitely interesting, and I hope I loved up to the intent (if not all of the requirements).

Buffy stood at Giles' doorstep and knocked. She hoped he wouldn't mind that she wanted to get clean at his place. After all, he did have hardwood floors and they would wash so much easier than her mom's wall-to-wall carpeting. There was the added bonus that he might actually know what that demon was. She heard him step close to the door and realized he must be checking the spy hole.

Normally she had no problem walking through his door unannounced - it was just that she didn't want to get sticky goo on anything else. It was going to be hard enough to get the stuff out of her clothes and off of her skin.

Apparently he figured there was only one person who'd show up on his doorstep covered head to toe in gunk, because the door opened. He looked at her, worried expression drawing his loveable features together. [And just when did his features become loveable?]

"Buffy? Is everything all right? Are you hurt? What did this?" he asked.

Her eyes peeped out from her brown-covered face and she said in a disgusted voice, "Don't worry, Giles, I'm fine. Just please tell me you know what kind of demon spews chocolate sauce at its attackers?"

Giles was momentarily speechless. He blinked at her, trying to process what she'd said. Her phrase finally sank in and the worry lines dissolved as he began to laugh.

"Buffy," he snickered, "do you mean to tell me a demon covered you in chocolate sauce?" Even covered in sticky chocolate and totally annoyed at how uncomfortable it was, Buffy saw the absurdity and giggled with him. Then her laugh turned mischievous.

Her fingers swept across the skin above her tank top, leaving a line of slightly cleaner skin as she gathered chocolate. She held her covered fingers up to her Watcher.

"Well, that's what it tastes like to me. I must've inhaled a gallon of it." She had no idea what prompted her to tease him, but her stomach thrilled when offered up her fingers and asked, "But don't trust me, why don't you find out for yourself?"

Instead of being flustered, or cautious, Giles' laugh became a twinkle in his eye as he leaned toward her fingers and delicately sniffed. It seemed he liked what he found, because suddenly his lips covered her fingers and his soft tongue licked the chocolate sauce off. She was shocked at the heat of his mouth, and nearly gasped out loud when she felt his teeth barely graze her skin.

Before she could react to the feel of his lips or tongue, he'd stopped. He looked at her with a thoughtful expression, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Well, I won't deny it certainly tastes like chocolate."

She stared at him, grinning like a fool. The touch of his lips had disconnected her ability to think. She wanted to ask him where he got off licking her, but couldn't muster the will. His lips were like the softest sin. Her brain hazed out with the thought that she was now covered in chocolate . . . and those lips could be . . . anywhere. . .

Giles took in her dazed expression with an arched eyebrow and asked, as if he'd done nothing unusual. "Are you sure a demon covered you in this?"

Drawn away from the amazingly sexy mental image, Buffy tilted her head to the side in disgust. "No, Giles, this is just a new exotic spa treatment," she replied. "I have to leave it on for 24 hours so it deep conditions my skin. Duh! Of course a demon covered me in this! The weirdest looking thing practically barfed this stuff all over me. Kind of a cross between a goose and a lion. There I was, just trying to do my job and protect the helpless. When I asked the demon what it was doing in front of a row of houses it sprayed me with the latest in demony excretions. Hey, stop giggling!"

Giles had begun to laugh again at the absurdity of the story.

"It's really not funny Giles!" But she couldn't help smiling herself. It was just too goofy. "You know, shouldn't we be worried instead of laughing? After all, we both just ate demon spew."

"Well, it did taste remarkably like Hershey's chocolate sauce." He tried to suppress his giggles, and looked contrite. "I'm sorry Buffy. I didn't mean to laugh at you, it's just . . . I've never heard of anything like this. But you're probably terribly uncomfortable. Do you want to come in and clean up?"

Buffy sighed in relief. "Finally! That's exactly what I was looking for. You know, I have no idea why people think this kind of thing is sexy. I feel like I'm just attracting flies." She followed him into the house, making a beeline for the bathroom leaving little chocolate footprints in her wake.

Giles smiled a little at this. "Somehow, I think chocolate is usually used in moderation."

She turned as she stood in the bathroom doorway. "Oh yeah? And how would you know, Mr. Smarty-Pants? Ever eaten chocolate off anybody?"

He turned beet red, but responded, "Yes, as a matter of fact I have." Buffy was intrigued and opened her mouth to ask him for details. Giles caught the look, and squelched her question. "You'd best take that shower, otherwise we'll have to peel your clothes off of you and unstick you from the floor."

She shivered at the mental image of Giles taking off her clothes. Then she grinned and good naturedly replied, "I'm going! I'm going!"

*******************************

Once inside his bathroom, Buffy turned the water on as high as it would go, then realized that her clothes really had dried and stuck to her skin.

[Ugh. This is so gross. I can't believe I have a ruined outfit and nothing to show for it.] She sighed, then hopped into the shower fully dressed. She began to peel layers off as the water loosened the chocolate. [Double ugh. Okay, never using melted chocolate again. Although . . .] she reflected on her Watcher's lips against her skin as he'd tasted the chocolate. [Well, maybe not never.]

She smiled at the thought of Giles on the other side of the door. Lately she'd started actually hanging out with her Watcher after patrol. It was sweet. Giles made her tea and they talked, but he never started the kettle unless he knew she was there. And since she didn't have classes, she stayed as long as she liked.

It had all started after the dream with the First Slayer. The dream had freaked them all out a little bit, her more than everyone else. She needed to have a couple of long conversations with Giles about what everything meant. He was, after all, the official dream interpreter as her Watcher. Dreams figured so large in her life, and she just couldn't shake some of the things that had come up.

But those dream discussions had led to just plain old talking. And after she and Riley broke up, the talking included all kinds of things. Funny, because she'd never thought of Giles as a talker in high school. Maybe it was something about the middle of the night the night -" nighttime brought a feeling of closeness. She finally got to satisfy her curiosity about him. She realized with surprise that he'd told her more about himself in the last month and a half than in the last three years altogether.

She shook her head, wondering what had prompted her to offer him her fingers. And what had motivated him to accept her offer? She shivered, remembering the feel of his sinful mouth on her skin. [What am I doing thinking about Giles' mouth? I can't think about his mouth. . .but. . . it's yummy.]

She shook herself out of her naughty thoughts and heard Giles clean up the spots she'd left walking down his hallway. He leaned against the other side of the bathroom door.

"Buffy? Do you want to describe this demon so I can begin research?"

Buffy was disgusted -" he didn't give her a moment of peace, did he? "Giles, don't you think you could hold off on the research until I get clean?"

"Well," she could her his snigger through the door as he continued, "it might spray someone else. We can't just have it running around Sunnydale covering people in chocolate, now can we? Besides, although it did taste exactly like chocolate sauce, I would like to confirm as soon as possible that we both ingested something fairly harmless. I don't think it's done you any harm, and I don't seem to be suffering any ill effects, but better to be safe than sorry, don't you think?"

Buffy smiled at the doorframe, imagining her Watcher on the other side trying to contain his laughter. "Very funny, Giles. You know I can hear you laughing. You're gonna pay for every giggle I hear. Either that or you're going to have to face the demon yourself the next time it comes around. But I'll take pity on you and tell you, since you did take a taste without consulting your books first. I must be rubbing off on you. Just promise me, no more giggling!"

"I'll try and restrain myself," he mocked from the other side of the door. "Now, please, tell me what happened?"

She began to describe her evening while the water sluiced down.

*******************************

Giles listened to his Slayer's tale of a quiet night, two vamps dusted, and her encounter with the strange goose-lion demon, but his attention wandered to the slight splashing sounds coming from behind the door.

He had no idea what impulse he'd obeyed in sucking the chocolate off of his Slayer's fingers, but he was pleased with the results. Buffy had looked stunned, but the kind of stunned he loved seeing on a woman's face. The kind that begs to be kissed away. He was filled with a wild hope and it made him giddy. Maybe he would face the demon next time it came around, and ask her to lick the chocolate off of him. [Dirty man! You're not supposed to be thinking about her that way! But I can't help it.] He yanked his attention away from daydreams of his Slayer's tongue to listen to her story.

"It looked like someone snagged a lion and shoved a goose head and feet onto it. Its front paws were webbed and clawed at the same time. Pretty fierce claws, actually."

Giles listened close enough to be surprised by her description, then she made another splashing sound and his incorrigible imagination conjured up luscious images of his Slayer under water, with chocolate and soap mixing together in his mind's eye to form the most distracting picture.

He marveled at the woman on the other side of the door, wishing again he could tell her how much he wanted her. They'd been spending so much time together lately, and for months she'd seemed interested in more than just her destiny and slaying. A faint hope had begun to grown in his heart that she might actually consider him more than a friend. He cherished their late night conversations, particularly as she seemed to really want to learn about him. For the first time he began to think she might actually see him as a man.

The sound of another splash crept under the door, and although he tried to shake the naughty images, they just kept coming. He knew he shouldn't be fantasizing about her, particularly when she was so close, but couldn't help it.

He realized she'd paused, expecting an answer from him. He coughed at the constriction of his throat, his mouth completely dry.

"I'm sorry Buffy, what did you just say?"

"I swear Giles, if you're still out there laughing at me, I'm going to throw you in the path of that demon myself. I said that my Slayer sense kicked into overdrive from, like, 15 feet away. I figure it must be super-evil to make the hairs on my neck stand up that much, right?"

"You're probably right Buffy. Could you tell what it was searching for?"

The sound of wet cloth being wrung out made Giles suddenly envious of a washcloth, and rendered him completely rigid at the fresh burst of mental images.

"No, I couldn't. That's what I was trying to tell you. The thing looked like it was just wandering up and down the street, but when I asked it politely what it was doing it totally belched all over me and ran the other direction faster than I could chase it. I checked the neighborhood but no one seemed to be missing a demon. Most of the houses were completely dark, like everyone was asleep. Any idea why a demon would just be wandering around?"

"None immediately come to mind. However, I believe your demon is distinctive enough that we ought to be able to find it quickly. Then we'll see what we're dealing with. Perhaps that will provide a clue or two."

"That's *my* Giles." Giles grinned at Buffy's possessive endearment. "Always helpful with the research." The shower shut off, and Buffy asked, "Now I have another question for you . . . can I borrow your robe?"

Giles' heart almost stopped at the request. All that lovely Buffy bundled into his terrycloth robe. He barely restrained himself from breaking down the door.

"Of course, Buffy. How silly of me. Please help yourself. It's hanging on the back of the door. If you like we can wash your clothes here before you go home."

"So now my Watcher does laundry too? I should stop here after being covered in demon goo more often. You're way more fun than home. Mom always nags about the stains."

"You know you're always welcome Buffy. But I only do laundry if you and your clothes are covered in chocolate."

"Is that some kind of a rule?"

"I might consider making it one," he joked. "Do go on with your story, though. How did you figure out it was chocolate?" Giles asked, wondering if he was going to be able to string a coherent thought together once Buffy emerged. Just the thought of her on the other side of the door was rendering him practically speechless. What was he going to when she walked out in his robe?

*******************************

"I can't believe it actually sprayed me. And that I was silly enough to get a mouthful. I should know better than that by now. But then I actually tasted it, and when I figured out the ugly whackjob had covered me in chocolate syrup I decided yours was the shower I needed to sully." Buffy continued as she toweled off.

She walked out of the shower, robe belted tight, and found Giles still leaning against the bathroom door. Drops of water curled along the side of her neck, her hair curled in a loose bun above it. She glowed, the soft light from the bathroom making her features soft and beguiling. He took one look at her and knew he was completely lost.

She stopped mid-stride at his look. He wore an inscrutable expression, but something in his eyes drew her in, preventing her questions and making her lean towards him. She tilted her chin, wondering at the way he seemed to be looking at her lips. He stood so close she could feel the heat from his body through the robe. He ducked his head, and she realized that he was going to kiss her. The crazy thing was that she wanted him to.

His lips were soft and velvety as they tentatively touched hers. Her eyes got even wider as she looked at his lashes against his cheeks. She arched forward, into his lips, deepening their first kiss, realizing she wanted to taste more of him.

He leaned into her body, pushing her against the wall of the hallway. His hands framed her face as her mouth opened beneath him. His fingers fanned along her skin, holding her motionless, in a grip that somehow conveyed that he was coiled like a spring. The tension of his body's heat raced through her veins, spreading warmth everywhere. His tongue drove deeper, twining with hers, and she gasped into his mouth. His blunt teeth bit at her lower lip, sucking it into his mouth so he could nibble further. Her knees weakened, and she might've slid down the wall without the crushing support of his body holding her up. She wanted to fall, and have him catch her. Instead she broke their kiss, gasping for breath.

"Giles?" She tried to form other words. She tried to ask the questions she knew she should. Questions about timing and want and boundaries. But nothing else came to her, nothing but his name and the intense need he'd sparked in her.

He blinked, as if her voice made him wake from a dream, and dropped his hands. He started to back away from her, stuttering, "B-b-buffy, I-I, I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry."

Buffy was in momentary shock, but just for a second. There was no way she was letting those fantastic lips get away from her. No way. She ignored the little voice in her head that said all her relationships turned out bad, and that one with her Watcher could be a train wreck. She shook her head, negating more than just his apology, and pulled his retreating body back against hers.

"Oh, no you don't mister, don't you dare back away from me. Come here and finish what you started."

Giles let himself be pulled back into her body, his face clearing as he realized she wasn't angry with the liberties he'd taken. He moved to hold her face between his hands as he smiled a blinding smile, then leaned to kiss her again.

At the second touch of his lips to hers, all doubt between them evaporated. Giles gave up any pretense at apology and his boldness shocked her. Buffy's concerns melted under the onslaught of his lips. His touch stunned her. His fingers traced her jaw line as he continued to feast on her. She melted, both at the touch and the feel of his fiery mouth. There was something dark and hot about the way his body pressed hers against the wall. She could feel the hard length of his cock between their bodies, and it made her ache with need.

Giles broke their kiss this time, breathing heavily. He dropped his head to her shoulder, pulling her closer against him.

Suddenly daring, Buffy tugged at his sweater, pulling it up, over and tossing it away. Her hands shaped the muscles in his neck and shoulders, fingers digging into his skin before smoothing down his chest. Her fingertips grazed his nipples and she smiled as she heard him suck in air. The sound of his reaction fired her, and she pulled his head back down to hers again, marveling at his taste. She had only one thought. [Yummy.]

His hands, courageous now, pushed her robe open and began to stroke the heated skin beneath. She moaned into his mouth, surprised at the rough texture of his finger pads against her breasts. She closed her eyes as his passionate hands played over her body, stroking her hips, lingering along the undersides of her breasts, urging her closer and closer to his heat. His skin felt so good pressed against hers, his chest hair pricking and teasing against her nipples.

She unbuttoned the top of his pants. She muttered into his chest. "No reason I should have to be the only one who's naked."

Giles laughed and proceeded to kiss her so hard she nearly forgot how to unbutton buttons. Finally, his pants and underwear were shoved away to reveal silky, warm Watcher skin, lots of it. She let him drop the robe from her shoulders, kissing as they went. Finally they cradled each other, feeding off kisses and moans and sighs.

His deft fingers made their way between her legs as hers softly wrapped around his cock. Twin moans broke from between their lips as they panted against each other, eyes closed, delighting in touching and being touched. Giles leaned Buffy against the wall, moving to stand between her legs. She pulled him as close as she dared, trying to meld his skin to hers. She tilted her hips, pulsing with heat, trying to rub against his fingers and his cock at the same time. One hand buried itself in his hair, keeping him kissing and growling beneath her lips. But the friction wasn't enough.

At her unspoken urging, he picked her up and drove himself inside her. She cried out, one joyous clarion call of, "Giles!" and sank down until she'd taken him completely in. She held his shoulders in a crushing grip, wanting to stay there forever, wrapped tightly in his arms, utterly filled.

Giles was caught immobile in her delightful warmth. He didn't want to move, but her hips began to curve slowly, and he couldn't help but respond. He gently arched in and out of her body, holding her to the wall, kissing her neck and eyelids. He captured her lips with his own until he needed air again.

What started as slow, gentle movement soon escalated, burning hotter and hotter until the noise of their thrusting made slapping sounds against the wall. Buffy crushed Giles to her, whimpering as he began to truly pound into her, harder and deeper. With every thrust she came closer, until her orgasm burst over her and sizzled down her nerve endings. She broke from his lips to yell her joy and felt him begin to shudder as he moved beneath her. With a matching shout, "Buffy!" he drove up one final time and held himself rigid as he came.

As both panted their delight, Giles held her as if he thought she was going to break. At least he tried, until it became uncomfortable to try to keep her against the wall. With a laugh Buffy unclasped her arms from his shoulders. "Giles, it's okay. You can let me go."

"I'm not sure that I want to," he replied, although he did set her down. His hands possessively cradled her to him.

She looked into his eyes, the words practically speaking themselves. "I don't think you're ever going to be able to get rid of me. Not now. Not after that." As soon as they were out of her mouth she knew they were true.

Giles smiled a lovely, heart-stopping smile. "Good."

Buffy laughed at his satisfied tone. "Although, it is getting a little cold. . . "

Giles instantly leaned over to grab the discarded robe. He draped it around her shoulders. "There is this big thing upstairs I believe you Americans call a bed. It has covers, and is rumored to be quite warm."

Buffy giggled, snuggling into the robe, then curled back against the body of her still-naked Watcher. "Giles, are you trying to get me into your bed?"

He smiled back at her. "I am. There's no better way I can ensure you'll still be here in the morning."

She positively glowed at his invitation. Buffy had no idea where her Watcher's sudden boldness had come from, or why the sudden wonderful sex, for that matter, but she loved it. The last thing on her mind was leaving.

"I'll think about it. But I'd be more tempted if you offered breakfast."

"My dear, I can offer you far more than just breakfast."

"What did you have in mind?"

His green eyes teased her with wicked promises. "You'll just have to wait until morning to find out."

She laughed again. "That's an offer I can't refuse." They started upstairs hand in hand.

Buffy was startled at the bubbling happiness in her heart. She'd known for months that there was something happening between them, but she hadn't expected anything like this. It made her grin and feel like she was glowing at the same time.

As they reached the bedroom, Buffy stopped. "Giles, what about my icky demon? Shouldn't we be researching it or something?"

He gravely considered her question, although it seemed he couldn't help pulling her back into his arms to do so. "I'd suggest research tomorrow, and a hunt for it tomorrow night. I don't think having a few people covered in chocolate is going to do them any permanent damage. And we'll need to find out what it is and what it wants before you can go after it."

Buffy nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. We'll call the Scoobies in the morning and get them to help." She began to yawn.

"Come on, Miss Summers. Your bed awaits." Giles drew the robe off her shoulders and pulled the coverlet back from the bed. Buffy scrambled in and watched her Watcher slide next to her. He turned to her, pulling her tight against him, his legs twining with hers as he pulled the covers around them both. As he drew her into the crook of his arm, his fingers began to thread their way through her hair in a lazy rhythm. She sighed a sleepy sigh against his chest, one hand over his heartbeat.

Once they'd settled, Buffy ventured, "Giles? Should we . . . talk about this? About what just happened?"

Giles, realizing that he felt remarkably happy and doubt free, responded, "We can if you like. Or we can talk in the morning. I'm not going anywhere." His arms tightened around her. "And neither are you."

Buffy realized that, for once, she really didn't have a need to discuss, to analyze, or to figure out. She was happy, and she could tell Giles was, too. She tightened her arms around him and laid her head against his shoulder. "Good. No talking now, just cuddling. Serious talk can wait for the morning."

"Indeed." Giles replied. He kissed her head and gently whispered, "Sweet dreams, Buffy Summers."

She smiled into his chest at the sound of her name. He made it sound like an endearment. "Sweet dreams, Rupert Giles."

*******************************

Giles cradled her as her breathing changed and her body turned heavy with sleep, and tried not to sing with joy at the feel of her in his arms. He marveled at the weight of her, at the reality, the staggering reality of her presence in his bed, with him. She'd even said she wanted to be with him. More than that -" lord, he'd often been amused or cocky when complimented on his prowess, but never had anyone he'd wanted this much told him they might not ever let him go.

Gods, he wanted to believe that wasn't simply afterglow. Buffy seldom made statements unless she meant them, and when she'd said it he'd been so satisfied, so blissfully satisfied, that all fear and doubt had been banished from his mind. He'd blithely reassured her, he'd merrily offered her his bed, and he'd neatly sidestepped the fact that, now that she was in it, he'd truly given her his heart.

Now though, questions came running back, forestalling sleep. He didn't know quite what to do from here, and he tried not to let his mental shiver of fear turn into a physical one. What had ever prompted him to believe he could kiss her? What had prompted her to kiss him back?

More importantly, would she want to be with him in the morning? Would she want to be with him tomorrow? Should he tell her how he felt, or try not to scare her away with it all at once?

One thing made all the clamoring questions quiet, one thing that overrode all attempts at fear and dismay; Buffy was asleep in his arms. He decided to take his own advice: tomorrow was time enough to sort everything else out.

*******************************

Buffy felt Giles cuddle against her back. His arm reached over her hips to stroke between her legs, fingers lazily drawing the heat. Wet warmth gathered and she tilted her hips against his circling touch. As she drowsily began to shift closer to his body, his lips closed on her neck and he spread lazy nibbles across her shoulders. She squirmed against him as his fingers moved harder and faster in her. She felt him smile against her neck, then open his mouth to bite down hard against the muscles beneath his lips. She let out a mewl that turned into a groan, knowing she'd be marked but caring little.

It was lovely to wake up like this - cradled in Giles' arms, his hot skin against hers, body humming with warmth. His hips arched behind hers, his knee moving between hers to toss her leg back. Buffy's body lengthened against his, his fingers pushing deeper into her as she felt his cock, hard and wanting, behind her. She arched her hips back, shifting, hoping he'd realize she wanted more than his driving fingers.

All their movements were unhurried - just long and warm and lusty. She felt her own juices begin to wet the sheets as she moved. She began to moan, softly, as his hips shifted to move further between her legs. His cock slipped up her vulva, its tip stroking towards his fingers at her clit. Wanting, she didn't hesitate to move her hips just enough to sheath him inside her, and he bucked against her with a growl to bury himself to the hilt. His other arm slid up between her hips and the mattress, to splay around her belly, holding her tight as he moved in her.

Buffy closed her eyes and melted in his embrace, feeling her entire body surge in time with his. Every nerve tingled and tightened as Giles continued to thrust, over and over. Her body bucked of its own accord. She flexed her vaginal walls around his cock and he panted against her neck as his arms clasped her, his movements unhurried and powerful. She loved his heat, his passion, the feeling of being his, the feeling of his cock inside her and his hands at her clit. His fingers stroked a final time and her head bent backwards as she came. He growled behind her as she gasped out her orgasm. He pushed into her harder than he had before, once twice, and again, until she felt his cock stiffen and lengthen, and then burst inside her. His fingers remained between her legs, his body relaxed behind her, as they both shuddered with the aftermath of orgasm.

After a few minutes Buffy sighed, not wanting to move but knowing they had to wake and greet the day. Giles caught the sigh. He chuckled, and propped his head on one hand so he could look at her. Smiling, he moved her hair away from the side of her face to kiss her cheek. "Good morning, love."

Buffy's breath caught at the endearment, and her smile lit the room. "Hiya, you." She reached up to touch his lips with her fingers, still not quite believing he was real. He nibbled her fingertips, reminding her of the first time he did that last night, making her fingers tingle and her grin grow even wider.

"Like your morning surprise so far?" he asked, in a spine-tingling low voice.

She nodded, speechless. Before she could begin to form a more coherent thought her stomach growled, loudly. Giles stopped nibbling to look at the offending organ, then he leaned forward to kiss the smooth skin above her tummy.

"I suppose that must be your body's way of telling me you'd like breakfast?" he asked, looking up from his spot near her stomach.

Buffy stroked his cheek. "Well . . . maybe. You did promise me, you know."

"I haven't forgotten." With an enigmatic smile her Watcher stood up from the bed, grabbed some sweats out of a drawer and tugged them on. Buffy leaned up on her elbow to watch him dress. She'd always known he had lovely lines, but seeing him in the morning light and watching him simply put on a pair of pants was utterly distracting.

"What am I getting for breakfast?" she asked when he turned around to find her openly admiring him.

"Keep looking at me like that and you may not get any at all," he teased. She pouted a little, and he laughed at her expression and walked back over to the bed to kneel beside it. "Will eggs, toast and coffee do? If not I can run out for doughnuts."

Buffy's expression turned from pouting to eager, and she practically pushed him towards the kitchen. "You spoke the magic word, coffee. Go now, coffee maker! Coffee is a must!"

Giles only laughed again, kissed her softly on the lips, and walked downstairs.

*******************************

Giles hummed to himself in pleasure as he reached the kitchen. The first order of business was coffee, the second, a lovely breakfast for his most precious houseguest. He marveled at the simple joy of waking with her in his arms, then grinned at the memory of their morning so far. [I may not be such an old man after all.]

He collected things from the cupboards, set about heating water for tea and the French press, and was suddenly struck with shock. Buffy was upstairs in his bed. Oh, he knew this, knew it deep in his bones, but even last night it hadn't seemed . . . real. Through some strange miracle, he'd actually acted on his thoughts instead of just thinking them. Now, Buffy was in his bed. And he never wanted her to leave.

He frowned as he cracked eggs into a pan, wondering if this was something they could possibly take slow. She was the most precious person in his life, and he couldn't bear to lose her. He didn't want to rush her into anything. But he wanted this so badly. He wanted to love her the way he'd always dreamed. He wanted to go on loving her like he had this morning. If she got scared, if she backed off from him, he wouldn't be able to stand the loss.

He shook himself out of his moody thoughts. Buffy was still in his bed, wasn't she? And hadn't she said last night that she wouldn't be able to leave him? He simply needed to make sure she'd meant what she'd said, and take it one day at a time.

He put the eggs next to the toast on their plates, set them next to the tableware he'd laid out on the bar. He didn't need to plan their lives together, and he needed to stop believing she would run away from him at the first opportunity. He needed to learn to take this as it came.

*******************************

Buffy lay back on the bed and hugged the sheets to her. They were filled with wonderful Gilesy smells, and the scent of their morning activities. She felt warm and contented. She sighed, realizing that she'd have to leave the lovely nest. But maybe Giles would let her come back here? She didn't want to think further than breakfast, but couldn't help herself. She thought about the way he'd woken her up this morning and couldn't help but want to be in his arms tomorrow . . . and the next day . . . and the next . . . scratch that, she never wanted to leave. Her heart kept hammering out this silly little tune that sounded suspiciously like 'forever'. Her body was humming a low song of contentment, and she felt as if her smile warmed her inside and out.

Then the smell of coffee and toast rose up from the kitchen. She grabbed Giles' robe to run downstairs. She found Giles putting down mugs next to full plates on the breakfast bar, walked close so she could kiss her half dressed Watcher again, and began to eat his breakfast.

They settled down in companionable silence, both pleased with the smell and feel of a more permanent domesticity. Finally though, Buffy looked across the counter at him and realized she was going to have to broach the subject. She took a deep breath, and when he heard her inhale he raised his eyes to hers.

"Giles, we should probably talk now. . ." she began.

He reached out to put one hand against her cheek. She leaned into his caress and covered his hand with her own.

"Buffy, before you begin, I would like to ask you a question. Did you enjoy last night? And this morning?"

She blushed, and then nodded, her eyes never leaving his.

"So did I. I didn't plan last night, but I couldn't be happier. I feel like I've just found you, and I don't want to lose you. But. . ." he hesitated, looking away from her eyes and she wondered what exactly he was going to say. She couldn't stop the chill that curdled her stomach when he stopped. Was he going to call it off? Tell her it was a mistake? [If he's going to tell me never again, better get this over with] she thought.

She prompted, "But?"

He continued, "But . . . do we need to define this? Can't we simply enjoy ourselves?"

Relief washed over her, and with her giddy feelings came right back, except now they were bigger and better than before. She felt like yelling to the mountain tops. Instead, she nodded again, almost shaking her head off her neck, and released a big whoosh of indrawn breath. "I don't want to lose you either." She smiled a silly smile at Giles. "What next?"

He squeezed her hands, "Perhaps, c-could we, take it one day at a time?"

"Taking it one day at a time is completely fine with me." She hesitated, wondering if she should even try to show him how happy she was. But she couldn't contain the forever feeling, "As long as the days start like this one did, I'm ready for millions of them."

Giles smiled at her, his thumb softly stroking her cheek. "I wouldn't mind millions of them either." His hand dropped from her face and to grab hers and hold it.

Buffy asked the next question, the next logical question, because she knew it was going to come up sooner or later. "What do you want to say to our friends?"

He didn't hesitate. "Anything you like."

"Do we have to tell them anything?" Buffy said wistfully. "No," she stopped herself. "We can't do that. Willow will take one look at me and know something's up."

Giles sent her a questioning look. Buffy explained, "Willow has supernatural Buffy radar. She'll see how happy I am. Heck, even the demons will probably notice."

Giles grinned at that, then shrugged. "Buffy, these are our friends. Whatever we tell them, I believe they will be happy simply that we are happy."

"You're right. You know, I'm not gonna worry about it. They can figure us out for themselves. Just we did." She smiled at him, all her present worries resolved.

*******************************

After breakfast Buffy went home to get a couple of changes of clothes and check in with her mom. Funny, Joyce hadn't seemed to mind that Buffy had spent the night at Giles'. Buffy wondered about that as she tried to call her friends. She'd moved back home for the summer, but her mom wasn't as psyched about having her semi-adult daughter back in the house. Maybe she'd find a way to spend more time out of the house this summer. Just thinking about Giles made her stomach flutter. And brought to mind their activities of the night, the morning, and his kiss goodbye. Her Watcher could kiss goodbye like nobody's business. And he did say at breakfast that he wouldn't mind having her there in the morning. That thought brought a secret smile to her lips.

Calls to the gang went unheeded for several hours, and it wasn't until late afternoon that everyone gathered at Giles' apartment. Willow and Tara arrived first. Buffy, Anya and Xander got there minutes later. Buffy explained about the strange demon and her encounter with it, and after the laughter had died down, she finished with, "And then I came back here to get cleaned up last night. Mom *so* would've had a hissy if I'd gotten chocolate all over the house, demon induced or not. So, research? First aim is to figure out what it is, then what it's searching for. And no snickering or I'll send you guys after it next time." All four friends nodded, still trying to keep their smiles from turning into outright laughter. Of all the things they'd ever faced on the hellmouth, this seemed one of the goofiest.

Giles went to the bookshelf to pick out research books. Willow hopped online. Xander groaned when Giles passed him the _Dictionnaire Infernal_. He hated the thick book with crusty pages. Giles raised his eyebrow at him.

"Hey, I'm not really complaining, just groaning under the weight. But, you didn't hand me the _Pseudomonarchia Daemonum_, so I'm happy. Make Tara read that one this time okay? The old English makes my head hurt."

Tara affectionately smiled at him as she pulled the _Pseudomonarchia Daemonum_ text off the shelf. "Xander, how did you ever get mixed up all of this?"

"For my skills." At Tara's disbelieving laugh he continued, "Hey, you may not be able to depend on me for Old English reading, but you can't do without my sterling charm and ability to order the best pizza in town," Xander quipped back, then settled down to begin leafing through his book.

Tara giggled, settling on the couch with her own demonology text. Anya took one of the non-English language books from Giles' pile and cuddled next to Xander. Without pausing in his book perusal, Xander put an arm around his girlfriend. The research party had begun.

Giles handed another book to Buffy and they both sat on the couch to read. Xander looked up and noticed Watcher and Slayer were practically sitting on top of each other. In fact, it looked almost like Buffy was cuddling into the side of her Watcher as she settled down. He blinked, wondering what had gotten into them, then went back to his book.

*******************************

As the sun began to set, Xander noticed Buffy pulling on her rattiest jacket and beginning to head for the door. "Hey Buffy, how come you get to leave?"

"I thought that was obvious . . ." she replied as she tossed her hair over her shoulder and turned back to him, "because I have to go make sure the icky duck-lion-thing doesn't spray anyone else. Besides, haven't you figured out how this relationship works yet, Xand? I'll get covered in icky goo so you don't have to."

Her eyes flicked to Giles; Xander watched a secret little smile flicker over her features. He wondered why a demon spewing made Buffy happy. Made *both* Buffy and Giles happy.

"Well, thanks for the sacrifice Buffster." Xander replied. His comeback went unnoticed. Buffy kept looking Giles' way. She'd been keeping eye contact with her Watcher for a lot longer than her usual pre-patrol goodbye. And she was still smiling, although it had now turned into a silly sort of cute smile that Xander had only seen her wear when she was in the first stages of falling in love. He looked at Giles and discovered the Watcher was smiling, too.

Seconds passed, and still no eye contact breakage. Maybe there was something going on between them? [Huh], he thought, [Buffy and Giles together. That's kind of cute. They could become the Watcher/Slayer dynamic duo. Better than Batman and Robin. Hopefully not with costumes. Or, well, costumes might not be so bad. Wait! Costumes? Bad Xander. No costumes!]

Finally Buffy broke off the smiling and the eye contact. She looked around sheepishly and Xander ducked his head back into his book, successfully concealing a smile of his own. He realized he'd noticed something none of the other Scoobies had, and he wasn't going to tell anyone their secret if they didn't want to broadcast it. Although, come to think of it, they hadn't done anything to hide their eye contact, and he supposed if anyone had been paying close attention they would've noticed the snuggling couch research. Xander wondered what the girls would say when it came out.

As for him, he realized that he was kind of glad - Buffy actually found a guy who was good enough for her. And Giles, he knew Giles had loved her for years. It was hard to miss, considering he was the world's foremost expert on unrequited love. Or at least he had been until An. Xander reached down to run his hand through his favorite girl's hair, and she looked up from her book and smiled at him.

Giles got up to see Buffy to the door.

"Bye, guys." Buffy flapped her hand as she moved past Giles and into the night. The Watcher stood holding the doorframe, looking a little wistfully after her, then closed the door and moved to pick up his own demonology text. He caught Xander watching him, and blushed. Xander grinned back, wordlessly trying to tell his friend that he didn't need to be embarrassed about a thing.

Giles looked mildly surprised at the look in Xander's eyes. Then comprehension dawned. Giles ducked his head, and then smiled at Xander, gratefully.

*******************************

An hour after Buffy's departure, Xander looked up from the open book in his lap. "Hey, everybody, I think I found it." All heads turned toward him. "Listen to this: 'Ipos is the Twenty-second Spirit, who governs 36 Legions. He appears as an angel with a lion's head, a goose's foot, and a hare's tail. He knows of past, present, and future events, and makes men witty and bold.'"

"Thank goodness. I was definitely getting tired of reading." Anya put her book down with a satisfied smile.

Giles looked over Xander's shoulder to see the picture. He shook his head. "I should have known. The Ipos. But that makes no sense. Tara, will you cross check that in the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum? Try the alternative spelling: A-y-p-e-r-o-s. It should be under the Counts of Hell section."

Tara leafed forward, finding the entry they were looking for. "Um, yes, I think it's here, but it doesn't say anything about spitting chocolate sauce." She read, "'Ipos [Ipes], alias Ayporos [Ayperos], is a great earle and a prince, appeering in the shape of an angell, and yet indeed more obscure and filthie than a lion, with a lions head, a gooses feet, and a hares taile: he knoweth things to come and past, he maketh a man wittie, and bold, and hath under his jurisdiction thirtie six legions.'"

"That sounds right, doesn't it?" Xander asked. "The whole lion-goose thing right?" He looked at Giles for confirmation, then got nervous, his voice getting more and more urgent. "What are the legions they're talking about Giles? Should we expect more lion-geese? Will there be a big fight? Do we need to recruit? I'm too young to die covered in chocolate."

Giles frowned, whipping his glasses off and polishing them as he considered Xander's slightly hysterical questions. "Xander, calm down. The _Pseudomonarchia_ simply refers to the mythical number of hellish legions the Ipos will lead when Satan rises up to fight against God in the last battle. We are not in any danger, as the end of all days is, at best guess, quite a few centuries off. You have nothing to worry about on that score. What does worry me, however, is the 'goo factor' isn't mentioned in either of these books. Why on earth would the Ipos be shooting anything out of its mouth? It simply doesn't make sense."

Giles went into lecture mode, both thinking aloud and explaining to everyone else in the room. "Traditionally, if they are here before the end of all days, the Counts of Hell must be summoned to this plane. We must simply find out who summoned it, and then we can duplicate the ritual to send it back."

Willow's ears perked up at this. "Do we need to do a spell to find out who summoned it?"

"Yes, I believe I have the correct one here." Giles turned away from the group gathered on the floor. He walked to the section of his bookcase that no one else ever got to touch. He opened one to a middle passage and began reading. Willow moved to read over his shoulder.

"Hey, this is easy! I could do this spell! It's just scrying." Giles looked down at her in thought.

"Would you mind casting it?" he asked. "It should give you a picture of the incantation as it happened. You'll know the identity of the caster, and hopefully also find out why the demon is now covering people with chocolate," he asked.

Willow was practically jumping up and down with excitement. "Totally! I have everything we need back in my room." She shyly glanced over at Tara. "Do you want to help me?"

Before the other witch could answer there was a knock at the door. Xander, Anya and Tara looked at the door, then at Giles. Willow turned around to stare. No one they knew knocked on Giles' door.

Xander broke the silence. "Giles? Expecting someone?"

Giles smiled. "It's probably Buffy."

"Huh? Since when does Buffy knock?" Xander asked.

Giles moved to the door, blushing. "Since last night."

Anya and Tara shared another baffled gaze, but Xander smiled to himself. [Uh huh. Giles definitely has it bad for Buffy. And something definitely happened last night.]

*******************************

The door opened, revealing the welcome sight of Giles, with everyone else behind him. Buffy sighed with relief, and then, when the laughter started, realized she was never going to live this down.

Xander completely cracked up. Anya began with little giggles that graduated to full-bodied laughing noises, one hand covering her mouth and the other pointing at Buffy. Willow and Tara were snickering, and even Giles, her Giles, was laughing at her again.

"I told you if you kept laughing at me I was going to throw you in the path of that demon." Buffy thundered at Giles. "And if I have to go back out there again to kill it *you're* coming with me."

Contrite, he contained his laugher and waved her inside. "I'm sorry Buffy, but you have to admit, you took us by surprise. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as if the demon added whipped cream and cherries this time?"

Buffy began to move directly toward the bathroom. "Yes, the demon 'added' whipped cream and cherries. And cherries *hurt* when you're being pelted with them. Please tell me you guys figured out what this thing is?"

Giles ducked his head, both to hide his smile and his excitement, "We did. It's called an Ipos. However, we haven't, as yet, found out its purpose, simply that it had to be summoned here. Also, there is no mention of it covering it's victims in any kind of. . ." he started to smirk while searching for the right word, ". . .topping."

Buffy sighed at her Watcher's attempt at humor. "That's right, keep laughing. It's so funny to see Buffy covered in chocolate with whipped cream and cherries on top."

This produced another guffaw from Xander, and Buffy turned to him with daggers in her eyes, "Don't even start Xander. How about we get together again tomorrow and figure out how to get rid of this thing? I'd really like to have at least one night of patrol that doesn't ruin my clothes. And right now I'm dripping on Giles' floor."

"Actually, Buffy," Willow explained, "I'm going to go scry the ritual for us, so I'll be able to tell you who did the summoning and hopefully how to reverse it."

Buffy sighed in relief. "Awesome. Thanks, Will. You're the best."

Xander smiled at them all, and hopped off the couch with Anya. "And since we're basically useless at this point - although I would like to point out I was the one who figured out which demon it was - how about An and I call it a night and let you get cleaned up?"

Buffy grinned back, "Perfect. Thanks, you guys, for helping figure out what it is." Buffy smiled at everyone gratefully, hoping they'd go so she could clean off another night's goop. Willow grabbed her bag and Tara stood as well.

Willow turned back to Buffy, "I should have the scrying done in a couple of hours. Do you want me to call you when I've figured it out?"

"Yeah, but call here." Buffy hoped she wasn't jumping to conclusions, but figured she and Giles could talk, if nothing else, after she got cleaned up. She carefully didn't look at Giles, though. "It'll take me a while to get clean. But I want to take care of this tonight if you figure out who it is I have to take care of."

Willow nodded and she and Tara left, discussing the herbs they'd need.

After holding the door for Willow and Tara, Giles closed and locked it. He turned towards his whipped cream covered Slayer. She stood, dripping, cherries caught in her hair, whipped cream mixing with the chocolate, her expression suddenly mischievous. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"Wanna help me clean up?" she invited.

Giles pretended to consider her offer, for a nanosecond, then grinned. "I'd hoped you would ask. I haven't had dessert yet." Buffy snorted, but her smile lit the room.

Giles crossed the room in two strides, lifting her chocolate and cream-spattered hand to his lips. Buffy gasped as he began to nibble on the palm of her hand, sucking off cream and grazing blunted teeth across her sensitive skin. Every nibble sent bolts of heat through her nerve endings. He looked up from her hand with a laugh dancing in his eyes.

"Shall we get you in the shower, love?"

"Yes, please."

*******************************

Giles started the shower as Buffy pulled the soiled jacket from her shoulders and held it dripping over the tub. She picked off all the cherries that hadn't fallen off on her way home and threw them into the bathroom trashcan. Once the water was warm, she climbed under the spray and pulled her sticky clothes off. She peeked out from behind the shower curtain to watch as Giles shucked his clothes. She sighed deeply, admiring every inch of skin revealed. He was like a present that unwrapped himself.

He looked up at her sigh and smiled at her with such tenderness that she thought she'd melt on the spot.

"Get over here," she commanded.

"Coming . . ."

He climbed into the shower, reaching for her as he stepped in, trying to pull her into a kiss. She stopped him with a hand to his chest. "Hold on just a sec, I'm still too goopy, mister. You're just gonna have to wait until I get a little cleaner." Buffy turned to stand directly under the water, and began to wipe her body down with her hands.

Giles grabbed the washcloth and soap. He wrapped his arms around her so he could wet the washcloth in the spray, and in the process managed to show Buffy just how happy he was to be in the shower with her. She gave up her fight to get clean and leaned back against his chest, rubbing her ass against his erection, loving the feel of his arms around her. She was warmed by the shower on one side, and by the knee-trembling heat coming from Giles on the other. His teeth nibbled at her earlobe, making her shiver just a little in his arms.

"Cold?" he whispered into her ear.

"N-not exactly," she said as she rubbed herself against him. His hands moved to clasp her hips, and she chuckled as he dropped the washcloth to be able to hold her. She half turned towards him. "Hey, pick that back up. One of us is way too sticky, and the other is getting that way fast."

"I can't argue with that." With a chuckle of his own, Giles knelt down in the shower to grab the washcloth. He looked up the line of her body and couldn't resist licking a little chocolate that had landed on her hip. Buffy, surprised by his mouth on her skin, turned to face him completely, presenting him with the most magnificent view. Despite the chocolate and cream still dripping from her shoulders and chest, she was beautiful with water running down her curves. His breath caught. She smiled at him, reaching one hand to trail her fingers along his lips again.

He kissed them, then moved forwards to grab her hips and bring them close to his mouth. She gasped when his lips touched her sex, gasped again as his mouth moved on her. She clenched her hand in his hair as the tip of his tongue darted to taste her. His mouth was incredibly hot, and she writhed a little as her body reacted to his tongue. He pulled her closer, almost off balance, nibbling and kissing her clit with a devouring mouth.

She began to moan and gasp above him, both hands moving to his shoulders to try to keep her balance. Suddenly she cried out a sharp high noise, her body, for one moment, going completely rigid.

Giles rose to hold her in his arms while she panted. Once Buffy recovered she pulled the washcloth out of his hand. "All that just because I asked you to pick up the washcloth?"

"What can I say?" Giles unrepentantly replied. "I got distracted."

She laughed, and sudsed up the washcloth to finally get the remains of the demon's goo off of them both. Once she'd soaped her own body she turned the washcloth on Giles, soaping everywhere that he'd touched her and gotten sticky. He laughed as she soaped his chest and shoulders, while he ran slicked hands from her breasts to her waist again and again. She pulled him further under the water with her, so they could rinse off together.

She leaned into him, and his arms went around her. Boldly, she took his cock in her soapy hand. He growled at the contact, pulling her tighter against him. She looked up to find his eyes closed and his head tilted back, the long line of his neck exposed. She leaned forward to bite him, her hand still stroking his length between them. Giles groaned at that, and she began to stroke him faster. She'd never realized showers could be so fun. His cock slid so delightfully through her palm. Giles' hips began to thrust in time with her movements, and now it was his turn to clutch her shoulders as she tightened her grip.

He opened his eyes and crushed her lips to his. No gentle kisses this time; she was swept away by the passion in his touch. But she wanted to taste him, too, so she ripped her lips from his and sank to her knees in the water, rinsing him a little before taking him into her mouth.

"Dear lord, Buffy!" he cried out as she wrapped her tongue around his length. She was beginning to love the new way he said her name.

She pulled him closer, her hands closing on his adorable ass. She tried to take every inch into her mouth, sucking and licking. His body began to tremble and Buffy knew he was getting closer, but his hands pulled her back up against him.

"Why did you make me stop?" she asked as began to kiss her neck and shoulders.

"Because I want to be buried inside you when I come," he growled, before ravishing her mouth again. She gave back as good as she got, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as their tongues dueled. He picked her up and leaned her against the cool tile, his hips twitching, rubbing his prick along her opening. Buffy arched her back, tilting her hips to maneuver him inside her. He teased her for a second, until she made a small sound of protest. Slowly his cock pierced her, slowly she pulsed downwards, feeling every inch of him sliding in, filling her. The water made everything happen so smoothly, and suddenly he was completely buried in her, his lips at her shoulder, his hands at her hips, holding her close to him.

They moved together, letting the heat build where their bodies connected. His hips languorously began to push against hers. She moaned every time he arched, her hands gripping his shoulders. They both began to thrust faster, the slap of Buffy's hips against the wall blending with the sound of falling water. Buffy's cries turned louder, more frantic, as her hands and hips urged Giles on. She came, panting his name, shuddering against the tiles as he thrust deeply into her. Moments later, Giles thrust a final time, his muscles turning to steel beneath her as his own orgasm struck.

Panting Giles put Buffy back on her feet. She reached out to pull him close, and they stood with the water sluicing off their bodies, kissing under the shower for a few minutes, just basking in each other's embrace. When the water turned cold, Buffy leaned over to turn the shower off.

"Hmm, pretty good for an apartment. You must have the world's biggest water heater," she commented as she grabbed a towel.

Giles' forehead crinkled in thought as he toweled himself off. "I've never had the opportunity to test it before."

She turned to him. "I think I'm glad about that. Glad I got to test it with you."

He smiled at her. "I am, as well. Thank you." He grabbed his robe and held it out for Buffy to climb into. She snuggled into the cloth again, then pulled his arms to wrap them around her.

"You know, this is two nights in a row. I don't think I'm going to be able to give up your robe very easily."

"You know you don't have to, love."

The phone rang, surprising both out of their adoring expressions. At Buffy's questioning look, Giles murmured, "Willow." Buffy laughed. She'd completely forgotten Willow was going to call.

Giles padded into the living room in his towel to pick up the phone, Buffy admiring the view as he walked away.

She hugged herself a little. [How did I miss seeing him before? He's gorgeous. He's perfect. It's like I was blind. Well, not anymore.] She walked out to wrap her arms around him. [In fact, it's like my eyes are staked open. He's the *one*.] She hugged him tighter as that thought sank in, and his arm wrapped around her in return.

She could faintly hear Willow's voice on the other end of the line. [Slayer hearing comes in handy again.] Apparently Jonathan, the guy who tried to kill himself in high school, summoned the demon.

"I'm not exactly sure about this," Willow continued, "I think the demon might be spitting ice cream sundae ingredients on people because Jonathan actually left an ice cream sundae in the circle when he did the casting. I've never seen anything so weird." Willow giggled. "At least Buffy didn't get covered in ice cream! Or maybe the demon's saving it for a third attack. But after Jonathan raised the demon it looks like it covered him in chocolate too. And Jonathan destroyed the circle by accident. He just kind of fell over."

"Wonderful, Willow. Were you able to see where he is, or where he performed the spell?" Giles asked.

"Not at first. But the demon kind of hovered over Jonathan until he woke up, then he ran screaming out of the house and the demon followed him." Willow's voice got excited. "It's right by my parents house! The demon got outside and then started to walk the other direction from Jonathan, so he crept back into his house. Buffy must've run up a couple of minutes after it got out. Anyway, it's two doors down on the south side of the street."

"Brilliant." Giles thought for a few minutes. "The demon is probably harmless. The addition of the ice cream sundae to the circle may have combined with the demon's essence when it materialized. Its powers have been channeled into this material form. However, we should still send it back to its own dimension. I think perhaps we ought to take care of this tonight." He looked at Buffy for confirmation, and she nodded her head in agreement. "Willow, can you meet us in front of Jonathan's house in a half an hour? You and I can perform the reversal ritual."

"Absolutely! What should I bring?"

"Can you tell what ingredients Jonathan used for his original spell?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Bring those. We shouldn't have a problem finding the demon - it will lurk in the area of the summoner until it's been released from this dimension."

"That's why it was in the same neighborhood last night," Buffy mused. Giles nodded in response.

"Don't go in until we get there, Willow. I don't know why Jonathan hasn't banished the demon already, but there may be some reason. We should all go in together."

"No problem," Willow responded, the excitement in her tone at doing the spell slightly dampened. "I'll meet you guys in front of his place in half an hour. Bye!"

Giles hung up the phone and turned to take Buffy more fully into his arms. "Shall we get dressed and get rid of this demon?"

She hugged him close. "We shall."

*******************************

"Jonathan?" Buffy called as she walked down the basement stairs of his house. Willow and Giles followed behind. "Hello? Anyone home?"

She heard a slight whimper and followed the sound to its source. She found a huddled mass in the corner. She reached forward to help him stand up. "Jonathan? What happened to you?"

"Is it still here?" Jonathan whimpered.

"Well, we hope so. Somewhere. Otherwise it's out covering someone else with chocolate."

"Oh, god. I can't handle this." Jonathan sat back down and put his face in his hands. Even though he looked pretty wretched, Buffy didn't have much sympathy for him. After all, he was the reason not one, but two, of her outfits had been completely ruined.

"You can so handle this. If I can handle being covered with whipped cream and cherry vomit from a demon you summoned, you can totally handle the fact we're sending it back. What did you think you were doing summoning a demon?"

Jonathan stared up at her, "It was the perfect plan. I was trying to get up the courage to ask Angelina out before she moved away. Ipos was supposed to imbue me with mythical wit and boldness. I was going to summon it and ask her out. But when I called it, it barfed chocolate me and chased me out into the street. That wasn't supposed to happen. And now I think it's hanging around outside the front of the house." He hung his head in misery. "I've been too afraid to go outside. I don't even know if Angelina's still here."

"Well, you might've tried showing up on her doorstep covered in chocolate and seen how that worked for you," Buffy heartlessly teased him. She heard Giles cough behind her and turned to grin at him. Willow was engrossed with Jonathan's ritual circle and missed their entire exchange. "Anyway, we're here to send the demon back. So you'd better hope it gets here in the next couple of minutes."

Jonathan looked frightened again, but Buffy wasn't about to let him hide in a corner. She was about to start lecturing him when he gasped and pointed at the top of the stairs. The demon stood in the doorway, then began to shamble down. Buffy stood at the bottom step and called to Giles and Willow. "Guys? You ready for this thing?"

Willow looked up from the circle she'd drawn over Jonathan's on the floor and nodded. Giles responded, "We're ready Buffy. Don't hurt the demon. Hopefully it wants to go back to its own dimension as much as we want to send it. Simply let it take its place in the circle."

Buffy took a step backward, trying to remain menacing, but not scare the monster away again. If it tried anything . . .

But it seemed it was her night, for once. Willow began to chant and the demon moved to stand directly in the middle of the circle. Giles added his voice to Willow's, and suddenly the circle flared white. The light engulfed the demon's body, but not before they heard it say, "Thank you. That manifestation was simply foul. I hate chocolate."

Buffy let out a breath of relief. "Everyone thinks they're a joker, don't they?" She turned to Giles and Willow. "Now that you guys have done your good deed for the day, let's go home." The both nodded, Willow closing the circle and beginning to pick up the magical items she'd brought with her.

Buffy walked back to where Jonathan still sat on the floor. "Jonathan, a couple of words of wisdom for you. One, don't ever leave an ice cream sundae in your casting circle. Even I know that. Two, don't use demons to get girls. Trust me, it never works. Three, if I ever find you raising demons again I won't be so gentle. So don't do it, okay?"

Jonathan blinked at her, her words sinking in. "I had my dessert in the casting circle?"

Buffy shook her head in dismay. "Was that the only thing you heard me say? Yes, you are a big magical dummy who left your dessert in the circle. Even the demon wasn't happy that it had to spew chocolate. And since that seemed to be the only thing you heard, I'll say this again: DON'T DO IT AGAIN!"

"Okay! Okay! I hear you." Jonathan shrank away from Buffy. Satisfied she'd yelled him into submission, she joined Giles and Willow on the stairs.

*******************************

Back on the street Willow waved goodnight and headed home to Tara. Buffy stood close to Giles as she waved, wondering just a little that her best friend hadn't noticed her new happy grin yet. [Oh well. Maybe tomorrow. I'm definitely going to tease her about this later though.]

A thought occurred to her. "Hey, Giles, if that demon was supposed to make men witty and bold, is that what prompted you to attack me after I got out of the shower last night?"

Giles paused, considering his answer before he spoke. "I wouldn't normally have 'attacked' you. Not that I hadn't *thought* about doing similar things before. I simply never acted on them. But," he turned to wrap Buffy into his arms, "the demon's influence would only last for a few minutes because I'd ingested so little of the chocolate. Except for that little push, my actions were entirely my own."

She smiled. "That's what I hoped you'd say." They turned to walk towards his apartment. Buffy tried to formulate her next question in as non-threatening a way as she could. She didn't want to ask him the heavy emotional questions right now, figuring there'd be time enough later to tell him how much she loved him, and see if he loved her too. She hoped so. But she didn't want to wake up without him either. After a couple of steps, she finally got the words together and stopped him to ask, "I have another question for you. Can we make the current sleeping arrangement permanent?"

His smile made his eyes crinkle. "Only on one condition." She held her breath, suddenly worried he was going to ask her something weird. "Do you love me?"

She flung herself into his arms and pulled his lips down to hers, trying to express just how much she loved him in a kiss. Her own knees got weak with his enthusiastic response. When she felt like she wasn't going to be able to stand up anymore she released his lips.

"May I take that as a yes, then?" he asked.

She whacked him softly on the arm. "Yes!" Her face drew into pouty lines and she looked up at him with puppy dog eyes. "But you still haven't told me how you feel about me."

His arms pulled her tight against him. "You mean you don't know?" he teased. She shook her head no, but her joy danced in her eyes. "I love you. When I woke with you in my arms this morning I never wanted you to leave. I think I might even love you more than tweed."

Buffy gasped, then laughed and pulled him to her. The smile that remained on her face was impossibly huge. "That'll have to do."

He laughed and put his arm around her shoulders. As they walked away, Buffy raised the last question of the evening. "Now, who are we going to get to tell Mom?"

"What about Xander? He already knows."

She was startled enough to stop walking. "He does?"

"He is rather observant sometimes."

Buffy smiled. "Perfect." They started down the street again. "Mom's always liked him. She won't kill him, right?"

"Probably not. We can hope."

~the end~

*******************************

Requirements:  
1) Both Buffy and Giles laughing (they didn't laugh enough on the show)  
2) Xander as the Scooby who sees B/G potential or isn't surprised when it happens  
3) Buffy and Giles feeding each other finger foods as a prelude to or part of the sex.  
Restriction: Absolutely no BDSM (and that includes silk scarves used consensually). I have a gigantic squick about that.


End file.
